Boston writer posts worst Hall of Fame ballot of 2021 so far

Boston writer Dan Shaughnessy submitted a protest Baseball Hall of Fame vote. Everybody point and laugh!

Every year, the Baseball Hall of Fame process somehow grows into more of a parody than it was when it began, when a group of 80-year-old men just said, “Hey, you know those extremely iconic legends of baseball? Like, the five legends? Yeah, it’s them, they’re in.”

Nowadays, we’re treated annually to such joyful traditions as grandstanding, retroactively punishing steroid users who writers chose not to punish during their careers, invoking the morality clause selectively, and voting for Omar Vizquel. It’s…not a very fun process.

Occasionally, you’ll see the clearest and present offense of all: the blank ballot. Despite each and every Hall of Fame ballot featuring the names of at least six or seven worthy causes, a particularly incensed writer will use his power to vote for absolutely no one, trying to be the “bigger man” while really acting as a forgettable drop in the bucket. After all, can anyone name a blank ballot submitter? Can anyone identify the causes a blank ballot person ever advocated for?

This year, I’m proud to announce we may have found something worse. Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy voted for only Derek Jeter in 2020, a surprising move (especially for a Bostonian), but one that sent a clear message: I believe only Jeter is worthy. So, what’s the message of Shaughnessy’s 2021 ballot, which features…only Jeff Kent?

Nobody — and I mean nobody — thinks Kent is the only Hall-Worthy player on the above list. Even Shaughnessy, if he were administered truth serum, would not try to convince you of such things.

This is a mockery of a ballot, by any measure. This is someone who’s been bestowed with an honor spinning in a circle blindfolded and then hucking a dart at the ballot on the wall.

Kent’s Hall of Fame case is…somewhat interesting? Most homers by a second baseman (377), 2000 NL MVP, participated on the reality show Survivor. But, even if Shaughnessy is furious with the process, players like Scott Rolen and Todd Helton could use his support. Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu might get kicked off the ballot, and if someone wanted to, say, use their ballot as a symbolic gesture of protest, they could write their two names instead.

But, nah. It’s Kent. We’re left with a lone Kent.

I hate to be the one to inform Mr. Shaughnessy of this fact, but next year, many of the names on this ballot will be the same! For how long does he intend to do this? At what point can we yank the rug out from under him? The David Ortiz-only ballot that’s sure to come is, in some ways, going to be just as embarrassing, ignoring a positive PED test simply because Mr. Shaughnessy likes the man.

The only way this gesture could be more clownish is if Mr. Boston had written the singular name of his ketchup-socked hero Curt Schilling instead.

Luckily, we didn’t get that far.